by P. Creeden
The blood rushed from John Mark’s cheeks. Was this the moment he’d been dreading. He swallowed down the feeling of his stomach jumping toward his throat. “An agent-in-training? You want me to train a new agent?”
“Yes,” both he and Marianne said together. Then Marianne ducked her head and gestured for Archie to continue. Archie nodded. “We feel you are the best agent for the case and for the job of training this agent.”
When John Mark nodded, but didn’t answer, Archie slapped him gently on the back while taking him by the shoulder. “Let’s head into the kitchen so we can get acquainted.
“Now?” John Mark hated the way his voice squeaked a bit when he said it.
With a nod, Archie pushed open the kitchen door and exposed the back of the agent sitting there. At first, relief hit John Mark when he realized the agent was a man. Then the man turned around and the anxiousness that John Mark had been feeling before renewed. He blinked. “Geoffrey?”
Chapter 4
The week that Savannah had stayed with their family had been bliss for Ruby. Much of the attention that had been placed on her was removed. People didn’t visit as often because they knew that the Lockwood household had guests already. And by people, Ruby meant Mr. Brown. He’d kept his distance from the house because of the news of their company, Ruby was certain. And that put her at ease. At least for a week, she’d been able to put off talking to her father about the situation that her mother and sisters already knew about. She would not be willing to marry Mr. Brown.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Savannah said suddenly as she cut off the thread she’d been sewing with her teeth. Together the four of them had been embroidering bed sheets for Savannah’s unfinished hope chest. She’d be taking it with her when she went. “Lucas is presently at the train station making arrangements.”
“So soon?” Mother asked as Ruby’s heart dropped and Hazel let out a disappointed cry.
Savannah smiled wide as she nodded. “We’d only asked for enough time off from the agency to get my things from home and for you all to meet Lucas. We’ll try to visit again in the fall, but I know that it will be uncertain as we never know how long a case will take out west.”
“You really have to go? Couldn’t you just stay here in Connecticut, now?” Hazel asked, her eyes wide and pleading.
With a shake of the head, Savannah set her sewing aside, finished. “Lucas is itching to get back, and even if he wasn’t, I am. You know, it’s funny, Mother. I spent so much time here with my nose in a book that father used to complain constantly. But now that I’m living the adventures I only read about before, I read much less. I think I’ve barely finished a novel in the past four months.”
“That’s amazing,” Hazel said, her eyes suddenly wide. “Maybe I could go out west, too... After I finish school, of course. I’ve only got a few more months left in this term. If I continue into summer semester, I might be finished by fall.”
“Don’t be in such a hurry,” Savannah said with a frown. “Enjoy school. Stay here longer to keep mother company. Both of you.”
Ruby shrugged. “I finished last semester. Now father just wants to see me married off to the first man who comes along with a proposal.”
Savannah lifted a brow. “Tell him already. Father will keep pushing you until you at least let him know.”
“I will...” Ruby trailed off.
“Do it. Now.” Savannah suddenly stood. “I’m leaving tomorrow and wouldn’t you rather have me, mother, and Hazel by your side when you tell him? Wouldn’t it be better that way to have the full support of both your sisters.”
Ruby blinked. “You’d do that for me.”
“Of course. What are sisters for otherwise?” Savannah stepped over toward her and looped her arm into Ruby’s elbow and set her sewing to the side. “Let’s do it now.”
“Now?” Ruby’s heart sank again, deeper this time.
“Yes.”
“I agree. It’s high time to get it done,” Mother said as she stood, too.
Then Hazel slipped her arm into Ruby’s other elbow. And both her sisters helped her to stand. Suddenly Ruby felt a bit like a puppet being handled and forced in the direction of the parlor, whether she wanted to go there or not. And honestly, Ruby didn’t want to. Fear gripped her and prickled along the skin of her shoulders. But she knew her sisters were right. It was better to do it now, with Savannah home, too. And with Lucas away. They entered the parlor and found their father dozing with his newspaper still in his hands.
Her mother winked as she passed and stepped over toward Father. She set a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “Dear, do you have a moment? Ruby would like to speak with you.”
Father’s eyes popped open, and he shook his head as though gaining awareness of his surroundings once more. He cleared his throat and folded his paper and set it on the side table. “Of course, I have a moment. I was just reading the paper. What can I do for you, Ruby?”
Her sisters squeezed both sides of her arms before releasing her and standing to the side, gaining a bit of distance. All focus was on Ruby, and she felt a bit alone. She swallowed hard. “You will not force me into marrying Mr. Brown.”
There. She’d said it clearly. Certainly there would be no mistaking her intention.
Her father lifted a brow and leaned forward in his chair, tilting an ear toward her as though he wasn’t quite sure if he’d heard her. “Mr. Brown? Are you saying that you’re not interested in him? I thought the two of you were getting along well after the walk you had together. Mr. Brown told me that you were quite content to be on his arm.”
In the back of her mouth, her molars ached for she smashed them together much too hard while her father spoke. She shook her head. “No, father. I was not content. I was mortified. I feared talking to you about it. I feared the repercussions that I would endure if I outright refused him that day. I find the man intolerable, and he threatened to back out of a business arrangement with you if I didn’t accept his advances.”
The softness in Father’s eyes fled at the last of her words, and a fire sparked. “He threatened you? Surely you’re mistaken.”
“No, father, I am not.”
Her father stood, shaking his head. He turned his back toward her while he leaned against the mantle over the fireplace, seemingly lost in his own thoughts for a moment. Then he turned back toward her. “I cannot believe Mr. Brown capable of such disrespectful behavior. There must be some kind of misunderstanding. I shall send word and invite him over for dinner tonight so we can get things cleared up. He’s an upright gentleman. Please give him a chance to explain himself tonight before you make such a rash decision.”
“Tonight?” Dizziness came over Ruby. The whole plan had backfired. Not only was she going to have to see the man again so soon, but her father was going to talk about the very things that she’d shared with him in private. Her jaw ached again as she bit down on her molars. Her vision blurred as tears stung her eyes.
Savannah’s hand felt warm upon Ruby’s shoulder, but she found little comfort there.
“What are you doing here?” John Mark asked when he finally got over the shock of seeing the bright blue eyes of the teenage brother he remembered in the head of the young man who stood before him in Pearl’s kitchen.
Geoffrey finished chewing the bite of food he’d had in his mouth before offering a wide smile and spreading his arms. He walked forward and pulled him into a hug with a laugh. “Johnny! It’s been a long time, old man! I’m surprised you even recognize me.”
John Mark stiffened in his brother’s embrace, uncertain what to do. His family hadn’t ever been very affectionate, so his brother’s sudden hug felt uncomfortable and flustering.
“Of course, I recognize my own brother,” he said, giving his brother a gentle pat on the back and hoping he’d release him soon.
With another laugh, Geoffrey pulled back. “It’s great seeing you again. I’ve been wondering how you’ve fared. You rarely write, you know.”
Eyebrow raised, Geoffrey shrugged. “Do you mean the one from Christmas? I read it to Mom and Dad.”
“Not that one. I wrote a letter last week.”
“Huh,” Geoffrey said with another shrug before sitting back down at the table in front of his food. “I didn’t get a letter before I left. Maybe it’s still in transit now?”
John Mark swallowed at the lump that formed in his throat. Archie took a seat at the kitchen table across from Geoffrey and motioned for him to sit down on the bench next to his brother. The surprise of seeing Geoffrey there was still overwhelming him. What was he doing here? Then he remembered what Archie had said and realized that there was no one else in the kitchen with them except for Pearl at the stove. Suddenly, John Mark was already shaking his head. “No. No. Geoffrey, you’re supposed to be at college. You’re supposed to be studying to becoming a doctor or a lawyer or something. You’re not supposed to be here in Denver. Who is taking care of Mom and Dad?”
The fork in Geoffrey’s hand stopped halfway to his mouth. His lips thinned. “Mom and Dad can take care of themselves, Johnny. They aren’t that old. And I finished college at the University of Virginia at the end of last semester. I am a lawyer, if that makes you feel any better.”
A momentary spark of happiness and pride flashed in John Mark’s heart before it was snuffed out by the overwhelming fact that his brother was still here, in the Pinkerton Agency with him.
“Your brother has fine credentials for becoming an agent with the Pinkertons, John Mark,” Archie said in that slow Scottish accent of his. But right now he wasn’t saying anything that John Mark wanted to hear.
Slowly, John Mark shook his head. “You’re not supposed to be here, Geoffrey. You’re supposed to do something more. Something better than me.”
Archie raised a brow at John Mark and pursed his lips as though he were getting ready to answer that, when Geoffrey set down his fork hard enough for it to clatter against the plate and table top. “You are a hero, Johnny. You’re out here saving good people from bad. You’re living by a moral code and standard that is far above what most lawyers do back in Virginia. You have become a fine man and a gentleman in every way. Nothing you have done here for the Pinkerton Agency is something to be scoffed at. It’s not an easy life, I understand that. But it’s a life of respect and adventure, and that is why I’m here.”
Then Geoffrey pushed from the table, hands fisted, and stomped out the back door to the kitchen toward the bunkhouse. John Mark could do little more than watch his brother, now a grown man, walk away from him.
“He’s right, you know?” Archie said gently from across the table. “You are a hero and a respectable gentleman. A career as an agent with the Pinkertons is not bad, even for a lawyer—just ask Logan Howard.”
Heat rushed to John Mark’s cheeks as he swallowed hard. He’d not meant to insult his job or what he did as something bad, but he had. Shame covered him as he slowly met eyes with Archie. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to demean the office.”
Archie nodded. “I know. You’re just looking out for your kid brother. But you also need to realize, that he’s not a child anymore. Even if you fight him tooth and nail about this decision, you’re likely only going to make him fight for what he wants harder.”
John Mark swallowed again and nodded. Archie was right. John Mark hated it, but he’d have to find a way to accept this situation.
Archie pushed from the table and stood. “Once you and Geoffrey work things out, come to my office and I’ll explain the details of the case you’ll both be working on. Even if it’s late tonight, come to the office anyway. I’d like you both to leave in the morning if that’s possible.”
Exhaustion covered John Mark like a heavy, wet blanket, but he nodded. “We’ll be in there shortly.”
“Good,” Archie said just before he pushed out of the kitchen door and back into the house.
As John Mark stood, he found a napkin being shoved in front of his face. He blinked in confusion at Pearl as she smiled softly at him.
“A bit of ham on a biscuit for you. No need to argue on an empty stomach,” she said as she put the wrapped sandwich in his hand.
He nodded his thanks at the same time as his stomach grumbled. “Hopefully it won’t be an argument.”
“Keep that in mind when you feel like starting one with him,” she said with a soft lilt as she stepped away.
He took a bite of the sandwich as he started toward the back door. Everyone was right. This could be a conversation or an argument coming when he reached Geoffrey in the bunkhouse. And the one person who decided which it was going to be was John Mark, himself.
Chapter 5
Dread filled Ruby as she listened to her mother and father greet Mr. Brown in the foyer of their home. Savannah and Lucas both sat together in the parlor while Hazel stayed with Ruby, arm looped in hers. Hazel leaned in toward her. “Be strong and keep your spine straight. No matter what happens, I’m here with you.”
Ruby nodded to her sister and squeezed her hand, but the lump in her throat prevented her from giving her thanks orally. She was truly thankful to both her sisters for being there with her through this ordeal. As she relied on them, she remembered being closer to them both when they were younger. Somewhere along the way, she’d distanced herself from them, and felt that they’d liked that distance, when now it seemed they hadn’t all along.
When Mr. Brown entered the dining room, Ruby’s spine stiffened, and she looked away from him, but she did it in a way that she hoped would make her rejection of him known. The last thing she wanted was for him to think her demure.
“Hello, Mr. Brown,” Hazel greeted him even though Ruby remained silent.
Their father came in from the entryway with a wide smile on his face. “Now let’s see if we can’t all come to an agreement about where we are before your mother serves us dinner.”
He gestured to a seat at the dining room table for Mr. Brown, who stood beside it in anticipation of both Ruby and Hazel taking their seats.
As they both began to sit, Father clucked his tongue. “Hazel, would you please go and join your older sister in the parlor? I’d like to have a private conversation with Mr. Brown and Ruby both.”
Ruby’s grip on her sister tightened. No. She didn’t want for her to leave. How could Father do this to her? Hazel’s eyes were wide and sympathetic, but she patted Ruby’s hand and then released her hold on her. Ruby’s hold went flaccid and her shoulders drooped, suddenly feeling defeated. Not one of the girls ever argued with their father. The closest to resisting him had always been Savannah. Certainly not Hazel, and never Ruby.
As Hazel left, Ruby couldn’t keep her eyes from following her sister, longing for her to return even as she disappeared past the doorway.
“Now,” her father said with a gentle clap of his hands, breaking Ruby’s stare. “Let’s all have a seat and work this out.”
Both men began discussing her as she sat there with her hands in her lap. No one asked her a question. No one even glanced her direction. After a long while, she began to wonder why she was forced to sit there, at all. Mr. Brown was a perfect gentleman in front of her father, eyes wide and mouth agape as her father spoke of the threat that Ruby had felt. “Oh no, that isn’t the way I meant it at all.”
The look he shot her direction then was patronizing. As if she were too daft to understand the meaning of the words men spoke. As if she were too pretty to be smart, since pretty girls were supposed to sit still and be ornaments for the house, for the family, for her husband. That was what Mr. Brown made perfectly clear that he wanted, a pretty wife who would decorate his home, but keep quiet.
Finally, Ruby had had enough of remaining quiet. “Actually, I’m pretty sure th
at was exactly the way you meant it. I’m not mistaken, nor am I prone to emotional coloring.”
“Ruby!” Father admonished her. “I won’t have an untoward outburst at my table.”
Ruby stood, pushing her chair back. “Then perhaps it would be better if I helped mother in the kitchen.”
Her father blinked up at her, shocked by her sudden proclamation. Mr. Brown’s face wasn’t much different from his.
With a quick bob of a curtsey, Ruby spun upon her heel and left the room. Tears stung the backs of her eyes. None of this was going the way that it was supposed to. Her father was supposed to be on her side. He was supposed to understand what she wanted... to care about what she wanted and didn’t want. Instead, he was bargaining with Mr. Brown as if she truly was a commodity, and she hated it. She didn’t want to tolerate listening to it for one more moment. Mr. Brown was basically calling her a liar, while she sat there in front of him.
And her father was letting him do it.
When she entered the kitchen, her vision blurred and then cleared again as she blinked and freed the tears to fall down her cheeks. Disappointment weighed heavily on her. Mother turned about, her hands covered in flour. She took one look at Ruby and nodded. Then gestured for Ruby to approach her and said, “Come help me set these rolls on the baking sheet, Ruby.”
It was her mother’s way. She often said that if there was something troubling one of the girls that the best way to overcome the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness was to put hands to work. So Ruby did as her mother asked and started placing the round dough on the pan. The repetitive action did help calm her nerves.
Once the job was finished, her mother placed the pan in the oven and turned around, wiping her hands on her apron. “Men will do what men want. They are like a river flowing. They go the direction they are heading, and there’s little we can do to stop a river. But we can divert the waters. If we set up a dam slowly, like a beaver does, we can make a man change direction and change his mind. But it can’t be done suddenly, and he always needs to think it’s his own decision. Do you understand?”